2022 part1

106/ Members explore innovative approaches to facilitate food safety, trade opportunities

25 MARCH 2022

At a meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures on 23-25 March 2022, WTO members explored innovative approaches to facilitate the flow of agricultural goods across borders, while ensuring that food is safe for consumers. Members also discussed a new proposal to monitor the implementation of international standards and were updated on a possible SPS Declaration for the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) to be held in Geneva in the week of 13 June.

The meeting of the SPS Committee was preceded by a thematic session on trade facilitative approaches to pesticide MRLs, based on a proposal by Australia, Colombia, Paraguay and the United States. The session allowed members to engage with key public and private actors to discuss current issues associated with pesticide maximum residue limits (MRLs) and to share experiences and best practices. Approximately 250 people participated, both in Geneva and remotely, in the event. The thematic session was also livestreamed on the WTO website.

The thematic session built on recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) work and offered insights into how an APEC MRL Guideline for Pesticides could be leveraged for trade facilitation. Members and industry representatives shared their experiences on topics such as harmonization with Codex MRLs, import tolerances and MRL enforcement measures.

In light of the opportunities and pressures created by the evolution of the global agricultural landscape, concrete examples of the economic losses exporters faced when consignments were rejected due to MRL-related measures were presented. The relevance of the SPS Agreement, the critical role of Codex MRLs and the economic case for addressing MRLs were also discussed.

In the Committee meeting, members discussed a new proposal by New Zealand (G/SPS/GEN/1998) proposing the Committee further explore several ideas for monitoring the use and implementation of international standards in 2022-2023, following recent initiatives of the three international standard-setting bodies (ISSBs) in the SPS area: the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

Members were generally supportive of continuing to engage on this issue in the SPS Committee although some delegations raised concerns about the suggestion of creating a new working group. The OIE and IPPC highlighted work to identify and address potential challenges related to the implementation of international standards and the OIE noted that some of the suggestions could duplicate existing work being undertaken in the ISSBs.

As part of the SPS Week at the WTO, side events were organized around the Committee meetings to deepen the understanding of SPS-related challenges to promote food safety and keep agricultural trade flowing. The  Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) partnered with Canada and France on 21 March to host an event aimed at strengthening SPS capacity in French-speaking African countries. Another side event was held on 23 March, organized by Uganda and the United States, which included an update on the current status of fall armyworm, particularly in Africa, and an overview of ongoing policy approaches to further address the situation.

The Committee will hold in June 2022 a thematic session on the use of virtual audits and verification systems in regulatory frameworks, following a submission by Australia (G/SPS/GEN/1949/Rev.1). Also in June, the Committee will hold a workshop on transparency. Finally, in November 2022 the Committee will hold a thematic session on international standards and best practices in pest risk identification, assessment and management, as proposed by the European Union (G/SPS/GEN/1951/Rev.1).

At the beginning of the meeting, many members took the floor to express their strong opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian delegate responded by saying that the WTO was not the proper venue for a discussion of this nature.

MC12 Declaration

The co-sponsors of the proposed MC12 SPS Declaration on “Responding to Modern SPS Challenges” updated members on this initiative, which aims at further enhancing the implementation of the SPS Agreement in an effort to better manage issues related to international trade in food, animals and plants by undertaking a work programme open to all members and observers.

Co-sponsors stressed the growing support for this initiative. Since the last Committee meeting in November 2021, 60 new members have joined in supporting the proposal, bringing to 91 the number of co-sponsors of the Declaration, including the African Group and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group. The most recent co-sponsors are Malaysia and Mongolia.

With a view to achieving consensus on the Declaration ahead of MC12, co-sponsors informed the Committee that discussion of the proposed Declaration had been shifted to the General Council. Some delegations reiterated their reservations and said they were still considering their position on the Declaration, suggesting amendments in wording and the inclusion of sustainable food systems, but they expressed willingness to participate in the process.

Specific trade concerns (STCs)

Members raised 48 specific trade concerns (STCs), 10 of them for the first time in this Committee. A wide range of issues was discussed, including on pesticide MRLs, animal diseases, and COVID-19 related measures. Three new STCs were withdrawn, following progress made in bilateral consultations.

New STCs addressed issues such as pesticide tolerances and the environment, collagen for human consumption, and phytosanitary certification requirements. Several previously raised STCs were discussed again, including on BSE-related restrictions, maximum levels for contaminants, legislation for endocrine disruptors, and legislation on veterinary medicinal products.

New ePing SPS&TBT Platform

The WTO Secretariat presented an overview and demonstration of the new ePing SPS&TBT Platform, which integrates all SPS and technical barriers to trade (TBT) transparency tools, as well as the ePing alert system, into a single platform. The Platform includes various functions related to notifications, STCs and information exchange. It is available for members and the broader public.

Various training sessions will be organized in the coming weeks by the Secretariat in order to facilitate delegates’ use of this tool. Further training will be provided at the Transparency Workshop planned for June 2022, during SPS Committee week.

Next meeting

The next regular meeting of the SPS Committee is scheduled for 22-24 June 2022.

Source: wto.org